A Magic Steeped in Poison

In the morning, the competitors gather for an announcement from Minister Song, who says that the competition will continue because Zhen refuses to be intimidated. However, there will be a small break in the proceedings for a few days while the incident is investigated. Those few competitors who were not judged due to the disruption have been given passage into the next round, which means that Ning is still in the running. There are only 17 competitors remaining, down from over 100 on the first day.

A guard pulls Ning aside because Chancellor Zhou has requested her presence. In private, the chancellor chastises her for her actions. She apologizes again and swears that she did not mean any disrespect by the poem that she recited. Chancellor Zhou warns her that she has made an enemy of the Marquis and will face many difficulties in the competition; one more misstep could result in her arrest. However, both he and Zhen see potential in her.

Later, Lian admits to Ning that she is the daughter of Ambassador Luo, a high-ranking diplomat to the western kingdoms. She lived in the palace as a child until she went to live with her mother’s family in Kallah and train there as a shennong-tu.